Christ as Our Perfect Prophet, Priest, and King
In the article "Christ our Exalted Savior," we saw how Christ's life is divided into two states. The state of humiliation is the period from the Incarnation to the resurrection. In this state, Christ temporarily laid aside His exalted privileges and status that He had in eternity past before He became man, and lived a lowly life of suffering on earth. The four main stages of Christ's humiliation are: His incarnation, suffering, death, and burial. The state of exaltation is the period from the resurrection to eternity. In this state, Christ resumed His exalted status and privileges and was "crowned with glory and honor" because of His suffering and death (Hebrews 2:9) for our salvation. The main stages of Christ's exaltation are His resurrection, ascension, enthronement at the right hand of the Father, and return Whereas Christ's main task in His humiliation was winning our salvation, His main task in His exaltation is to enjoy the glory and honor that He deserves and apply the salvation He won to His people so that we will all one day enjoy His glory with Him (John 17:24).
In studying the work of Christ to win our salvation in the state of humiliation and apply our salvation in the state of exaltation, it is important to understand the threefold offices of Christ. In each state, Christ's work for our salvation is done through the exercise of three offices: prophet, priest, and king.
The three offices in which Christ functions for our salvation were foreshadowed in the Old Testament, where the "three major offices among the people of Israel ... [were] the prophet (such as Nathan, 2 Sam. 7:2), the priest (such as Abiathar, 1 Sam. 30:7), and the king (such as King David, 2 Samuel 5:3). These three offices were distinct. The prophet spoke God's words to the people; the priest offered sacrifices, prayers, and praises to God on behalf of the people; and the king ruled over the people as God's representative."[1] While the three offices were each exercised by a different person in the OT, all three offices are united in the one Person of Christ.
Louis Berkhof explains how Christ functions in these three offices: "As prophet He represents God with man; as Priest He represents man in the presence of God, and as King He exercises dominion and restores the original dominion of man."[2] We will now take a closer look at each of these offices, paying special attention to the way Christ exercises in each of His two states differs.
Prophet
A prophet is one who speaks God's word to man. Thus, Christ functions as a prophet by revealing God to us and speaking forth His word. That Christ exercised the office of prophet is evident from the fact that Moses predicted that one day God would send a prophet like himself, a prediction which is clearly about Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15-18; cf. Acts 3:19-26). Also, Jesus claimed to speak forth revelation from the Father (John 8:26-28; 12:49, 50; 14:10, 24; 15:15) and spoke of Himself as a prophet (Luke 13:33). What is amazing is that "Jesus was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like all the other prophets), but was himself the source of revelation from God. Rather than saying, as all the Old Testament prophets did, `Thus says the Lord,' Jesus could begin divinely authoritative teaching with the amazing statement, `But I say unto you ' (Matthew 5:22, et al.)."[3]
In His humiliation. Before His incarnation, Christ exercised this office through the lesser prophets of the Old Testament, and through inspiring the Old Testament (1 Peter 1:11) -- for these are both actions in which He revealed God to us. After the incarnation and in the state of humiliation, Christ exercised this office by revealing God to us in His teaching and miracles (John 17:8, 26; 14:10).
In His exaltation. After leaving this earth by ascending to heaven, Jesus did not cease His prophetic office. He continued it, through the Holy Spirit, by empowering the preaching of the apostles and by inspiring the New Testament. He continues this office today by illuminating the Bible to believers, through the Holy Spirit, so that we understand it and by working through the preaching of the word to make it effective in creating faith in unbelievers and building up faith in believers.
Priest
Louis Berkhof points out that whereas a prophet represents God before men, a priest represents man before God. Wayne Grudem gives this further description of the priestly office: "In the Old Testament, the priests were appointed by God to offer sacrifices. They also offered prayers and praise to God on behalf of the people. In so doing they `sanctified' the people or made them acceptable to come into God's presence, albeit in a limited way during the Old Testament period. In the New Testament Jesus becomes our high priest."[4] The Old Testament predicts that Christ would be our priest (Psalm 110:4), and the priest in the OT was a clear pre-figurement of Christ's priesthood. The book of Hebrews contains extensive teaching on Christ's priesthood, calling Jesus "the Apostle and High Priest of our confession" (3:1) and our "great high priest" (4:14). Christ acts as our priest in two ways the first way during His humiliation, the second way during His exaltation.
In His humiliation. In the OT, the priest was the one who offered sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus therefore acted as the ultimate priest when He offered sacrifice for sin to which all of these other sacrifices pointed. But the crucial difference is that while the OT priests offered animals, Jesus offered Himself. "...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). Additionally, the OT sacrifices could not put away sin (Hebrews 10:14) and had to be continually offered (Hebrews 10:1-2). On the other hand, "once at the consummation of the ages [Christ] has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). His sacrifice successfully put away our sin, and therefore He never needs to offer it again (Hebrews 7:27). It is amazing that Christ was "both the sacrifice and the priest who offered the sacrifice."[5]
In His exaltation. Jesus' sacrifice for our sins was not the end of His priesthood, because He "holds His priesthood permanently" (Hebrews 7:24). Just as in the OT, the priest not only offered up sacrifices for the people but also interceded for the people (mainly by praying for them), so also Christ, having offered Himself for our sins on earth, continues His priestly work by interceding for us in heaven. "Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). "God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us" (Romans 8:33-34).
Jesus' priestly work of intercession is connected with His priestly work of sacrifice not only because they are both aspects of His priestly office, but because His intercession is based upon His sacrifice. This close connection is brought out, for example, in 1 John 2:1-2: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Christ's death was the means of obtaining everything pertaining to our salvation, and His intercession is focused toward the applying of these blessings to us. And since Christ's death made certain the salvation for all of His elect, it also guaranteed that all of His people would have this salvation applied to them. Thus, His intercession is always successful for us because it is based upon the "credentials" of His death and resurrection on our behalf. The Father is delighted to grant Christ what He requests because He loves Christ, He loves His people, and He will never dishonor Christ's death for His people.
Louis Berkhof very clearly brings out the various elements of Christ's intercession. First, upon His ascension into heaven, Jesus entered the heavenly temple to present His completed sacrifice to the Father. Berkhof writes, "Just as the high priest on the great Day of Atonement entered the Holy of Holies with the completed sacrifice, to present it to God, so Christ entered the heavenly Holy Place with His completed, perfect, and all sufficient sacrifice and offered it to the Father."[6] Christ now appears "in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24), and thus continually embodies before God the sacrifice He made for our sins. "...the perpetual presence of the completed sacrifice of Christ before God contains in itself an element of intercession as a constant reminder of the perfect atonement of Jesus Christ."[7]
Second, while Christ's sacrifice cleared all of the charges that were against us, satan the accuser is insistent on continuing to bring charges against us. Christ meets all of these accusations by pointing to His completed work (Romans 8:33-34; cf. Zechariah 3:1,2). He thus silences accusations against us by His intercession.
Third, Christ's intercession relates to our continual sanctification. When we pray to the Father in His name, He makes our prayers pleasing and acceptable to God. He also makes our services done in faith pleasing to God. "...you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 2:5). "Christ's ministry of intercession is also a ministry of loving care for His people. He helps them in their difficulties, their trials, and their temptations."[8] "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18). "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
Fourth, Jesus' intercession means that He continually prays for us. Jesus' prayer in John 17 seems to be an indication of the things he prays for. He asks that all of His saints would be preserved in the faith (v. 11), that we would be protected from satan and evil (v. 15), that we would be sanctified in the truth and thus progress in holiness (v. 17), that we would all be unified with one another (v. 21), and that we would one day all be with Him to behold His glory (v. 24). This is amazing! Basically, the focus of Jesus' prayers is that we would live out the full extent our salvation, and that we would be kept from falling away so that we will one day be where He is. I believe that in addition to the specific requests we read of in John 17, Jesus also makes many other specific requests on behalf of each person who belongs to Him so that we continually grow in faith and love and joy. In short, He prays for exactly what we need with the aim of maximizing our joy in Him.
Finally, it is significant to recognize that not only is Christ's intercession continual, it is also effectual. Christ's prayers are always answered (John 11:42) because He is the Son of God and at the right hand of the Father -- the highest seat of authority in the universe (Romans 8:34).
The truth of Christ's intercession is very comforting: "It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers; and that He prays for our protection against the dangers of which we are not even conscious, and against the enemies which threaten us, though we do not notice it. He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end."[9]
King
Jesus' Kingship is a very significant truth. I will bring out a few things, but for a more detailed analysis of Christ's Kingly office, see my article Christ our Exalted Savior.
In His humiliation. Jesus is Lord, the one to which all must submit. He is our rightful owner and rightful leader. While He was on earth, He called people to acknowledge His Lordship and proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God which one enters through faith in Him, and which will fully be manifest when He comes again, judges the world, and brings about the New Heavens and New Earth where only righteousness will dwell.
In His exaltation. Upon His ascension to heaven and seating at the right hand of the Father, Jesus' Lordship entered upon a new dimension. He is now officially enthroned as ruler and king of the universe. From His throne He now governs the church and rules the world. What is very glorious and comforting is that He rules the world for the sake of the church (Ephesians 1:22).
Wayne Grudem writes that "After his resurrection, Jesus was given by God the Father far greater authority over the church and over the universe. God raised him up and "made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church" (Eph. 1:20-22; Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:25). That authority over the church and over the universe will be more fully recognize by people when Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory to reign (Matthew 26:64; 2 Thes. 1:7-10; Reve. 19:11-16). On that day he will be acknowledge as `King of kings and Lord of lords' (Rev. 19:16) and every knee shall bow to him (Phil 2:10).[10]
Hebrews 8:1 brings out the marvelous connection between Christ's Kingly and priestly offices: "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens..." It is wonderful that our priest who offered Himself for us and intercedes for us is also King -- King of the Universe, and in a more intimate way, King of the Church. And as our King and Priest, Christ is also our Prophet who reveals God to us through His teaching and miracles on earth, and now through illuminating His Scriptures to us through the Holy Spirit.
Implications
First, this understanding of Christ's three-fold offices ought to give us encouragement and strength to hold fast our confession and draw near with confidence to God. This is the great application the book of Hebrews gives us because Jesus is our high priest: "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence tot he throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Second, Wayne Grudem writes that "amazingly we as Christians even now begin to imitate Christ in each of these roles, though in a subordinate way."[11] Our prophetic role, he points out, is in our proclaiming the gospel to the world and in teaching God's word. "We are also priest, because Peter calls us `a royal priesthood' (1 Peter 2:9). He invites us to be built into a spiritual temple and `to be a holy priesthood' as well as `to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.' (1 Peter 2:5)."[12] Christ has made us "priests to His God and Father" (revelation 1:6). This enables us to have personal and direct access to the Father through Christ (Ehesians2:18), enter the Holy of Holies through Christ (Hebrews 10:19, 22), offer up a "sacrifice of praise to God" (Hebrews 13:15) and sacrifices of good works (Hebrews 13:16). Finally, we share in Christ's kingly office in some measure because God has "raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ" (Ephesians 2:6). We will share more fully in His Kingship in the age to come when God promises that we will reign with Christ (Revelation 22:5).
Notes
1. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan Publishing and InterVarsity Publishing, 1994), p. 624.
2. Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, new combined edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman's Publishing, 1938), p. 357.
3. Grudem, pp. 625-626.
4. Grudem, p. 626.
5. Grudem, p. 626.
6. Berkhof, p. 402.
7. Berkhof, p. 402.
8. Berkhof, p. 403.
9. Berkhof, p. 403.
10. Grudem, p. 629.
11. Grudem, p. 630.
12. Grudem, p. 630.
All Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation.
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